The present invention relates to setting boundaries to limit where a robot can go, in particular a cleaning robot with a virtual boundary.
Neato robots are equipped with a magnetic sensor that can detect a magnetic field and allow the robot to make behavioral decisions. A user can place a magnetic strip along the floor to prevent the robot from crossing over the magnetic strip. iRobot provides a Lighthouse for its Roomba robot cleaner, which provides a Virtual Wall® boundary by emitting a cone-shaped infrared (IR) beam across doorways or other locations depending on placement of the Lighthouse by the user. The Lighthouse can also operate as a gate, allowing the robot to pass after an area on one side of the boundary is cleaned. The Ecovacs Deebot R95 provides a virtual boundary by allowing a user to draw a line on a map of the robot cleaning area to indicate a line where the robot will not cross. It is desirable to provide an improved virtual boundary system.